But India is nowhere on the priority list of these 'luxury tourists' who contribute to 20 per cent of the annual travel earnings worldwide.
Experts say the number of luxury tourists is fast expanding, but India has to do a lot to woo these tourists who let loose their purse strings more than others.
"India has great potential as a destination for the high spending tourists. Nature, culture, food, monuments - it has everything that these tourists want. However, India does not emerge as a favoured destination for these tourists", says Rabindra Seth, Tourism Expert and ITDC panel member.
There are several tour operators in the country who offer luxury tour packages to India. However, most of the times, they mean nothing more than business class travelling and five star accommodation.
"Luxury tourism means much more than business class traveling and five star accommodation. Luxury tourists have particular requirements and are people with time and money for their holidays", says Joy Mazumdar of Prudent Network India Tours, which offers customised luxury tour packages.
"Luxury tourists are usually singles, couples or families and not group travelers. They seek qualitative experiences and demand personal and confidential service. They often have requirements that, to the average person, seem absurd but which should be evaluated in relation to the amounts spent for their acquisition", he says.
Though India has something or the other for all segments of tourists, the existing infrastructure is not enough to attract these tourists who are ready to shell out big money.
"We are always ready to host high spending tourists and to provide them what they want. But, unfortunately we lack in the basic infrastructure that is very important. For example, our airports are poorly maintained. Same is the case with the roads, the markets and the overall ambience. We can not attract the luxury tourists unless we do not provide them a complete experience", says Sandeep Srivastav of Compass Tours.
Besides infrastructure, governance is another crucial factor. Many a times, tourists in India complain that administrative works move on a very slow pace and their problems are not redressed properly.
"There is a need to speed up the administrative procedures involved in travelling and tourism. Whenever a tourist faces a problem, it should be solved then and there. Efforts should be made to provide a hassle free experience to the tourists in all aspects", says Seth.
Though the present status of luxury tourism in India is far from being satisfactory, possibilities are unbound, say experts.
"India has immense potential for luxury tourism. However, we need to cash in on them through fast track infrastructure development and better governance. For this, both the government and the private sector will have to come forward", says Seth.
